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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Family Practice Doctor / Primary Care Physician

💰 $220,000 - $350,000+ (Commensurate with experience, location, and practice model)

HealthcareMedicalPhysicianPrimary CareFamily Medicine

🎯 Role Definition

As a Family Practice Doctor in our organization, you will serve as the primary point of contact and principal caregiver for a diverse patient population. This pivotal role extends beyond diagnosing and treating illness; it's about fostering wellness, promoting health education, and guiding patients through their entire healthcare journey. You will operate within a collaborative and supportive environment, leveraging state-of-the-art Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and working alongside a dedicated team of specialists, nurses, and support staff. Your focus will be on providing continuity of care, emphasizing preventative medicine, and managing both acute and chronic conditions, from pediatrics to geriatrics. Success in this position means becoming a trusted health advocate for the families you serve.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Family Medicine Residency Program
  • Medical School Graduate (MD/DO) with completed residency
  • Physician transitioning from Urgent Care, Hospitalist, or other relevant roles

Advancement To:

  • Lead Physician / Head of Department
  • Medical Director of a clinic or region
  • Partner in a private practice
  • Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in a larger healthcare system

Lateral Moves:

  • Urgent Care Physician
  • Hospitalist
  • Academic Medicine / Clinical Faculty
  • Telehealth / Digital Health Physician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Conduct comprehensive physical examinations, health screenings, and preventative care for patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly.
  • Diagnose and treat a broad spectrum of acute illnesses, injuries, and common infections, developing effective and timely treatment strategies.
  • Formulate and manage long-term, evidence-based care plans for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and cardiovascular disease.
  • Order, perform, and meticulously interpret a wide range of diagnostic tests, including laboratory work, imaging studies, and EKGs, to inform accurate diagnoses.
  • Prescribe and manage medications, therapies, and medical devices, carefully monitoring patient responses, adjusting treatments, and managing potential side effects.
  • Provide comprehensive well-child and well-adult care, including age-appropriate immunizations, cancer screenings, and health-risk assessments.
  • Counsel patients and their families on crucial lifestyle factors, including diet, nutrition, physical activity, smoking cessation, and stress management.
  • Perform a variety of minor in-office procedures, such as suturing lacerations, skin biopsies, cryotherapy, joint injections, and incision and drainage.
  • Maintain exceptionally accurate, complete, and confidential patient medical records using the practice's Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
  • Collaborate effectively with a multidisciplinary team, including medical specialists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and mental health professionals, to ensure coordinated patient care.
  • Refer patients to specialists for consultative services or advanced care when necessary, ensuring a smooth transition and clear communication loop.
  • Educate patients and their families on their medical conditions, treatment options, and self-management techniques to empower them in their own healthcare.
  • Manage a dedicated panel of patients, fostering continuity of care and building strong, long-term physician-patient relationships based on trust and respect.
  • Participate actively in on-call rotations to provide after-hours telephonic or in-person medical guidance and urgent care to established patients.
  • Remain current with the latest medical advancements, treatment protocols, and clinical guidelines through dedicated participation in Continuing Medical Education (CME).
  • Ensure all clinical activities and documentation adhere strictly to federal, state, and professional regulations, including HIPAA, OSHA, and medical board standards.
  • Provide culturally competent and sensitive care to a diverse patient population, recognizing and respecting individual backgrounds, beliefs, and values.
  • Manage and respond to patient inquiries, prescription refill requests, and other clinical communications via phone and patient portal in a professional and timely manner.

#- Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and behavioral health issues within the scope of primary care, including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders, and refer as needed.

  • Advocate for patients within the healthcare system to ensure they receive necessary care, services, and resources.

Secondary Functions

  • Participate in practice-level committees, such as Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, or Clinical Guidelines development.
  • Mentor medical students, physician assistant students, or family medicine residents rotating through the practice.
  • Contribute to the development and review of patient education materials, community health workshops, and wellness programs.
  • Engage in peer review activities and case discussions to uphold and improve the standard of care across the entire clinical team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Board Certification (or Board Eligibility for new graduates) in Family Medicine
  • Active and unrestricted State Medical License (MD or DO)
  • Federal DEA license
  • Proficiency with Electronic Health Record (EHR/EMR) systems (e.g., Epic, Cerner, AthenaHealth)
  • Competency in performing minor office-based surgical and medical procedures
  • Comprehensive knowledge of chronic disease management protocols
  • Expertise in interpreting common diagnostic tests (labs, EKG, X-ray)
  • Current BLS (Basic Life Support) and/or ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) certification

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional Interpersonal and Communication Skills
  • Empathy, Compassion, and a patient-centered bedside manner
  • Strong Diagnostic Acumen and Critical Thinking abilities
  • Excellent Problem-Solving and Decision-Making skills under pressure
  • Teamwork and Collaborative mindset
  • Superior Time Management, Organization, and multitasking ability
  • Resilience, Adaptability, and the ability to manage stress effectively
  • Leadership and Mentorship capabilities
  • High degree of integrity and professional ethics

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from an accredited school of medicine.
  • Successful completion of an accredited three-year Family Medicine residency program.

Preferred Education:

  • Additional fellowship training in a relevant subspecialty (e.g., Geriatrics, Sports Medicine, Obstetrics, Palliative Care) is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Medicine
  • Family Medicine
  • Primary Care

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0-5 years post-residency. We enthusiastically welcome both recent residency graduates and physicians with prior clinical experience.

Preferred: 2+ years of experience practicing in an outpatient family medicine or primary care clinic setting is highly desirable.

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